THE DANCES OF MADI. 
335 
men, usually about thirty, each with a hand-drum and 
a single stick (looking like kangaroos), danced in a 
circle to a lively quick tune, closing to a centre and 
retiring again at particular parts of their music. 
By moonlight of the 5th December, we witnessed a 
most extraordinary dance in the village above where we 
resided. Some three hundred nude men and women 
were assembled. Six drums, of different sizes, slung 
upon poles, were in the centre ; around these was a 
moving mass of people, elbowing and pushing one 
another as at a fair, and outside these a ring of girls, 
women, and infants, faced an outer circle of men 
sounding horns, and armed with spears and clubs, 
their heads ornamented with ostrich-feathers, helmets 
of the cowrie-shell, &c. Never had I seen such a 
scene of animated savage life, nor heard a more 
savage noise. As the two large circles of both sexes 
jumped simultaneously to the music, and moved 
round at every leap, the women sang and jingled 
their masses of bracelets, challenging and exciting the 
men facing them to various acts of gallantry; while 
our Seedees joined in the dance, and no doubt 
touched many a fair heart. But although these night 
scenes are enjoyed by the inhabitants as well as the 
Turks, they are during the day oppressed by their 
masters, and compelled by the lash to labour. In- 
stances of this were constantly seen : a Toorkee 
thought nothing of giving a woman a cut with his 
cane if she stood the least in his way; and to escape 
such cruelty, we saw the people removing the 
materiel of villages for a new erection on a spot 
more distant from the Toorkee encampment. Any 
information regarding the neighbouring countries 
